Could anyone tell me the distinct between "nearly","almost",and "hardly",please?
It's nearly 3 o'clock
It's almost 3 o'clock
Here, I'd say that 'almost' is closer than 'nearly', but they could often be used pretty interchangeably. 'Hardly'is different- it makes something very nearly negative:
I hardly tried = I made very little effort.
Hardly anyone turned up = very few people were there